


communication

by laurenkmyers



Series: Ballum drabbles or codas [9]
Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Communication, Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:47:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29809320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurenkmyers/pseuds/laurenkmyers
Summary: Callum lets slip about Danny Hardcastle, and the boys have a little bit of healthy communication.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Series: Ballum drabbles or codas [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833373
Kudos: 37





	communication

**Author's Note:**

> Coda for tonight's episode (02/03/2021)

Ben steps in through the back door to the beautiful smell of Callum’s cooking. He strips off his coat and drapes it over the back of the chair before making his way over and wrapping his arms around Callum’s waist, pulling him back to chest. He kisses his shoulder and buries his nose in the crux of Callum’s neck.

“Sorry about that, babe.”

“Everything okay?” Callum asks, leaning his head to the side to allow Ben’s lips to make their way higher.

“Yeah, all good now. Heard you lent a helping hand today?” Ben asks, twisting Callum in his arms.

Callum shrugs at Ben’s facial expression. “Some lads were after Vinny, yeah, so I helped.” He replies, holding Ben’s face between both hands. “I’m not gonna say no when someone asks for help, am I?”

Ben sighs, “You do know he had 50k in that bag, right? That’s what he was asking you to help ‘im with.” Ben watches Callum’s face drop, not in shock, but in exasperation. It makes him smile.

Callum spots the up tilt of his lips and shakes his head, leaning in for a quick kiss to wipe it off. “The things I do for you…” He says as he pulls back, “…at this rate, I gotta be an even dirtier cop than Jack. Helping your dad with his stuff, beating up Danny, letting Kush go, and now this…”

Ben chuckles. “You ain’t gonna hear any complaints from me about how _dirty_ you can be.” Ben emphasises his point by dragging him in for the dirtiest kiss he can give, before suddenly remembering the list of things Callum had just reeled off. He pulls back abruptly, so abruptly Callum is left completely dazed. “Hang on a minute…beating up Danny? Hardcastle? When did you…?”

And then realisation hits. Stuart’s wedding day. The blood on his sleeve. _Fuck sake._

“That’s what my dad had you doing minutes before your own brother’s wedding? Jesus, Callum. Why didn’t you say anything?” He pulls out of Callum’s arms and paces the kitchen.

“It was nothing.” Callum’s determined voice says.

“It’s not nothing, Cal. Danny’s dangerous, and my dad just, what? Stood by cheering you on as he let you put your life at risk like that?”

“It wasn’t Phil’s decision, Ben. It was mine. Danny said something that riled me up and I just couldn’t listen to him spewing his bullshit about you anymore so I-”

“-beat him to a bloody pulp?” Ben finishes the sentence for him.

“Yeah…I guess.” Callum turns the stove off and pulls a chair down to sit at the table. Ben follows suit.

The two stay silent, soaking in the new knowledge for a bit.

Ben decides the break the silence, “I’m so lucky to have you, y’know?” He says, gearing himself up for a little bit of emotional honesty, already feeling slightly raw from it. He soldiers on, grabbing Callum’s hand from across the table. “I can’t lose you… especially not over someone like Danny Hardcastle. He ain’t worth the hassle.”

Callum tightens his grip on Ben’s hand. “Now you know how I feel every time you work with the likes of Shell Suit Stan.” Callum says with a wince at the name and a sort of smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Ben sighs, understanding a little bit more now the shit situations he tends to leave Callum in. “I know, babe. But I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you ‘ave. I know how to handle meself. And besides, got myself some back up now dun I?”

Callum looks up at him. “Kheerat on board then- with this plan of yours?”

“Damn right he is. Your fiancés a genius! It’s the charm.” Ben winks, shuffling his chair a little closer to Callum, wanting nothing more than to get Callum’s lips back where they belong in celebration.

Callum chuckles against his eager lips. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, handsome.”

“Got you, didn’t I?” Ben smirks, crashing their mouths together, shutting up any cheeky response his gorgeous man might have.

They fall into the kiss and melt under each other’s lips, exploring and open. Ben likes that they can talk about this stuff now, likes not having to hide his business with the man he’s planning on spending the rest of his life with. _He could definitely get used to this._

Luck has never really been on his side. But tonight, Ben feels like a winner.

**Author's Note:**

> come and yell at me on tumblr: laurekmyers


End file.
